Focus on soccer

When Ballermann clashes with a relegation match

Maria Alm delegation in St. Johann with Austrias European Cup heroes of the 90s: Fritz Lederer, Hans Seifert, Christian Lederer with Heimo Pfeifenberger (from left).(Bild: UFC Maria Alm)

There are already a few construction sites in the run-up to a possible duel for the third ticket for the 1st regional soccer league. One team will be in Mallorca during a possible relegation match.

Runners-up Maria Alm are due to play a relegation match, but are on vacation in Mallorca: a scenario that has to survive two more match days - but would then be quite curious. "We didn't have that on our radar," admits coach Christian Lederer, but also says: "We're not worrying about unlaid eggs yet."

The fact is: The match date for the most likely duel between the runners-up of the 2nd provincial leagues North and South has been scheduled by the association for 12 June in Hallein (19). And after the recent Piesendorf upset at home against Eben (0:2), Maria Alm are in second place. "It's now a matter of successfully reeling off the last two games and then we'll see," said Lederer, who will hang up his coaching job at the end of the season, remaining calm.

St. Johann 1b (H) and Eben (A) are two mid-table teams, Piesendorf still have to face newly crowned champions Mittersill, before St. Martin/T. make the trip.

The big unknown in the north: Seekirchen's colts, currently four points behind leaders Plainfeld, can only be promoted to the 1st regional league if the first team in the Salzburg league becomes champion and returns to the western league. This is the only way to maintain the prescribed two-league gap. The only 1b rival is Elixhausen - one game less, five points behind.